Canon T5i at Amazon Question

Trepidati0n

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Saw this deal

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-Telepho...UTF8&qid=1422919032&sr=8-4&keywords=rebel+t5i

Not sure if it is decent? Really like how the Canon Rebel series feels in my hand and how the controls work. Other brands make me think to much when changing between settings/modes. I won't ever been a "photographer" but know well enough at my price class I won't be. Just wanting to take better photo's than what a point and shoot camera will do.

Edit: Yes, we want the T5i for video recording as well...
 
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Whoa, all that extra crap for $850?
Not a great deal. Some of those accessories aren't worth the cardboard they're packaged in.
That 75-300mm lens isn't great either. No IS, no USM.

What kind of pictures do you like to take? That way we can help you pick a body and lenses.
 
I would highly recommend buying used. I know some people swear against that, but I'm all for saving cash. Figure out what you want, then save 20% by shopping for it on the Fred Miranda forums (in their, buy/sell section).

I like sprtnbsblplya, definitely feel that the bundle is basically junk. Site unseen, I can without question tell you that buying this "bundle" is definitely better than the bundle you listed. It comes with two kit lenses, a bag, and an SD card... and it only costs $549, as opposed to over $800 for items of questionable (at best) quality.

Generally though, I would say that kit lenses while not being the worst things in the world, should be avoided if you can. By buying the body only (at around $450) new versus the kit you listed, that should in theory give you another $400 or so to buy lenses and SD cards with right? Because that is what I would do (if you twisted my arm and said: "it must be new!" as opposed to getting used like I suggested earlier).

The T5i will serve you well enough. Most cameras are better than the people behind them. It will give you plenty of space to grow for a long time. And if you do suddenly decide to turn this into a serious hobby and want to learn more about photography, you'll be able to do everything you want or need to do with it, including so called "advanced techniques".
 
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I buy almost all of my gear used. Most amateurs baby their gear so some excellent deals are out there.
 
Just want to point out that the bundle that UnknownSouljer linked is for the T5 and not T5i. I do agree with everyone to buy used, and save. If you want to buy new, I suggest Greentoe.com, a reverse auction site, where you can save 15% normally from retail pricing.
 
Just want to point out that the bundle that UnknownSouljer linked is for the T5 and not T5i. I do agree with everyone to buy used, and save. If you want to buy new, I suggest Greentoe.com, a reverse auction site, where you can save 15% normally from retail pricing.

Good call. Missed that. T5i with one lens is still around $550 though.
 
Thanks for the info. Knew something "Wasn't right". Nobody gives you something for nothing. We are still settled on the T5i. Been having a really hard time on lenses though. It seems like that is the area where "unless you know you learn the hard way".

The camera will have two major "focal points" (pun intended).

  • Getting pictures of nieces/nephews/kids in their "natural habitat". So tired of cell cameras and other point and shoots just not getting the job done (either blurry or grainy which are both indications of subpar equipment). Telling a kidding to stop/freeze/pose and still coming out with a subpar image is just not the intent.
  • Travel for specific "we really want to remember this" shots. For the most part the cell phone shots for day time random out door stuff is MORE than enough. However, a couple times a day you know that what you are taking is "just not good enough". For example the clock in old town Prague. We have some good shots..but damn if I didn't wish I had some better ones.

Edit: so would something like this be a much better deal/idea --> http://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/c...s/eos-t5i-18-55mm-is-stm-lens-kit-refurbished
 
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Thanks for the info. Knew something "Wasn't right". Nobody gives you something for nothing. We are still settled on the T5i. Been having a really hard time on lenses though. It seems like that is the area where "unless you know you learn the hard way".

The camera will have two major "focal points" (pun intended).

  • Getting pictures of nieces/nephews/kids in their "natural habitat". So tired of cell cameras and other point and shoots just not getting the job done (either blurry or grainy which are both indications of subpar equipment). Telling a kidding to stop/freeze/pose and still coming out with a subpar image is just not the intent.
  • Travel for specific "we really want to remember this" shots. For the most part the cell phone shots for day time random out door stuff is MORE than enough. However, a couple times a day you know that what you are taking is "just not good enough". For example the clock in old town Prague. We have some good shots..but damn if I didn't wish I had some better ones.

Edit: so would something like this be a much better deal/idea --> http://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/c...s/eos-t5i-18-55mm-is-stm-lens-kit-refurbished

Yes, that's a better deal I would say.


But secondly, to address your list:
Blurryness comes from two factors: Either it's the shutter speed being too slow or the camera is not properly being in focus. The first issue comes down to artistic intent, there are many photos and photographers that have used 'motion blur' to show movement, but if you so choose, you can hike up your shutter speed and 'never' see it. The second item, focus, is some-what camera related, but understanding your cameras limitations is generally the best way to over-come this issue. Every photographer in this place will tell you, their keeper rate is not 100%, whether talking about a poor photo artistically or some technical issue that came up, photography is just as much about culling as it is about keeping.

I say this now to manage your expectations, because if you're expecting to buy this camera and expecting just magically better photos to pop out that isn't going to happen. The camera is just a tool and the key to getting the best out of your tool is your knowledge of it. A way to drive this point home is an analogy about guitars. A master guitarist doesn't need a massively expensive guitar to make an amazing sound. I'm more than 100% certain that Van Halen with a $100 used Squire Strat would sound way more awesome than me any day of the week. And that is even if I had a $3,000+ custom Strat. You see in this scenario, it wasn't the level of equipment that made the difference. Is the more expensive guitar better? Yes. Will it help you make better music? (This is debatable actually, but for sake of argument) Yes. Will a more expensive guitar make you play better or be a better musician? No.

If you want 'verify' that what I'm telling you is true, check out this video series from DigitalRev. It's called: "Pro Photographer, Cheap Camera" challenge. They get some of the biggest names, notably Chase Jarvis, Vincent Laforet, Phillip Bloom, Benjamin Von Wong, and Zack Arias (each one of these is an international level photographer) to use basically a junk camera to see if they can still make stunning images in their particular style or field. And not one of them has failed because they have the knowledge to make amazing images regardless of equipment.
So, the point I'm trying to make is that it's the one behind the camera that makes the picture, not the camera.

There are plenty of uncle bobs with $10k+ in equipment that are easily outmatched by a serious High-School student with an old Rebel and one prime lens. If you want to take better photos, then you'll have to learn. Photography is an art. It takes a long time to get mastery. I know you've said in your first post that you're not ever going to be or even want to be a pro photographer. That's okay, dabbling is fine, photography isn't something that everyone needs to dive into, but if you want help along the way, I know that either I or plenty of other people in this sub forum will try and help you out if you have questions.


Graininess generally comes from having a high ISO. Yes, level of equipment does affect this particular issue. Sensors with more surface area and less pixels per square inch will naturally have less grainy photos. Also generally newer/better cameras will have a better signal to noise ratio and better noise algorithms to deal with this issue. Still, it's a problem that EVERY camera has to one degree or another and that just has to do with the limitations of technology. Generally grainy photos will only be a problem in low light situations, in which the camera is trying to 'gain signal' where there is none or where there is less. Generally the ISO has to go up to be able to shoot in darker areas/places and therefore there will be some degree of grain. No matter how expensive your gear is, this is a technical limitation and every camera system will hit a wall at some point. Yes, some cameras are better in this area than others, but once again I'm trying to manage your expectations. No camera is noise free at every setting. Not one. So knowing your gear is essentially the limitation there.

If you do a lot of indoor shooting or a lot of shooting at dusk/night then expect that at some point (if not all the time) you will see grain. But if you're shooting outdoors in bright sunshine, you'll probably never see grain.

===

The second item on your list I think is basically 100% covered. Because yes, you're right cell phones for most people are good enough a lot of the time. But not all the time. This camera can help fill that gap.
 
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Wait until February 6 - Canon is about to announce new stuff - among them is the T6i. Either way you win.

You can either buy the T6i for likely the same money or get the T5i at an even bigger discount as the new model pushes prices down further.

Just a headsup.
 
Yes, that's a better deal I would say.


But secondly, to address your list:

SNIP

I don't disagree with anything you said. But from a cellphone/pointshoot camera...the issues i'm having is pretty much the camera. A DLSR will, without doubt, provide a better image even in automode in the situations where I was having issues. A ton "magical" better..probably not. But I think there is a limit of how much knowledge can make up for a small sensor and cheap optics. Eventually you hit a wall. I am just wanting to move that wall further away requiring little effort and a lot further away once I start picking up the knowledge I need.

Again...thanks for your insight.

----------

As for the T6i coming out...that is a biggy. Did'nt know that
 
The T6s looks great with the added controls and horizon level integrated.
 
The T6s looks great with the added controls and horizon level integrated.

This thing is a beast for an entry level camera. Canon is clearly looking to take back a lot of the market that Nikon has been encroaching on for about the past 5 years. The Rebel XTi I started with pales in comparison.
Amateurs have no idea how good they have it. This system will probably be far better than most can shoot with it for a good long while. Every part of the spec sheet is crazy good (with the one exception that it's a crop sensor). 24MP (more than a 5D2 or a 6D or the original 7D), ISO up to 25600, DIGIC 6, Wi-Fi, flipable screen, and 19 Cross sensor AF points (?!?!?! better than a 5D2 or a 6D, or the original 7D). Older FF cameras of course are still better than this PQ wise, but the spec sheet on this is still phenomenal.

It's more than a good competitor to the D3300.

Meanwhile, no thread has been put up about this, but the 5Ds and 5Ds R are looking to take a piece of the studio market currently held by Nikon. Canon is starting to flex its R&D muscle and its bank account/market share advantage.
 
I don't disagree with anything you said. But from a cellphone/pointshoot camera...the issues i'm having is pretty much the camera. A DLSR will, without doubt, provide a better image even in automode in the situations where I was having issues. A ton "magical" better..probably not. But I think there is a limit of how much knowledge can make up for a small sensor and cheap optics. Eventually you hit a wall. I am just wanting to move that wall further away requiring little effort and a lot further away once I start picking up the knowledge I need.

Again...thanks for your insight.

----------

As for the T6i coming out...that is a biggy. Did'nt know that

A T5i will no doubt be able to take better shots, but in auto mode you're still going to be at the mercy of what the camera thinks is the right thing to do. By default the camera will still either ramp up the ISO, or use a really slow shutter speed. It also won't pick a proper aperture for when you want to do a group photo. Point and Shoots are definitely more suiting for pointing and shooting. DSLRs will be a lot less forgiving when they get things wrong. Seeing streaked Christmas lights across their family portrait from a friends failed attempt at using their DSLR certainly highlights how even the more expensive cameras don't choose correctly indoors.

Without knowing what type of phones and P&S cameras people were using it's hard to draw conclusions. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the devices were poor and it would be more difficult to get good photos. Others with cameras like the powershot series which are around $150 are actually quite good. Outdoors most cameras can take decent pictures even cell phones as the light is there. Indoors you can certainly do a few simple things to flex the muscle of the camera and get better photos. It is those things that won't matter what system you're using, they can make or break the photo.

As stated here the one kit lens I wouldn't even bother with is that 18-55mm. If you only want a single lens for now the two best options for little coin is either the 40mm pancake or the 50mm 1.8. Those are going to be great for pics of the kids and can be used in a lot of situations as long as you "zoom with your feet" and physically walk closer or farther away to get what you want. The 40mm is going to be closer to a cell phone which captures a wider image (They are around 26mm). They both have their strengths and weaknesses but you can find hundreds of comparisons between the two.

If you're lucky and can find a cheap kit with the t5i and the 18-135mm lens it's a much nicer lens than the 18-55. There are two models of the lens one will say STM and one won't. Basically the STM is a bit faster to focus and quieter when it does. Either one should be fine though. The advantage is that it will still take good pictures and has a pretty solid range from very wide to narrow so you can get more stuff that is farther away. The first thing you'll learn about DSLRs is due to their size the amount of reach is much lower than what you'd expect. A set of binoculars can see much farther away.

If you don't think you'll need the flexibility then the 40mm or 50mm would be better for indoor stuff than the 18-55 or 18-135.



This thing is a beast for an entry level camera. Canon is clearly looking to take back a lot of the market that Nikon has been encroaching on for about the past 5 years. The Rebel XTi I started with pales in comparison.
Amateurs have no idea how good they have it. This system will probably be far better than most can shoot with it for a good long while. Every part of the spec sheet is crazy good (with the one exception that it's a crop sensor). 24MP (more than a 5D2 or a 6D or the original 7D), ISO up to 25600, DIGIC 6, Wi-Fi, flipable screen, and 19 Cross sensor AF points (?!?!?! better than a 5D2 or a 6D, or the original 7D). Older FF cameras of course are still better than this PQ wise, but the spec sheet on this is still phenomenal.

It's more than a good competitor to the D3300.

Meanwhile, no thread has been put up about this, but the 5Ds and 5Ds R are looking to take a piece of the studio market currently held by Nikon. Canon is starting to flex its R&D muscle and its bank account/market share advantage.

I bet people say that every time the next model comes out. :p
 
I bet people say that every time the next model comes out. :p

Indeed. But to further stick to my guns, I still think the XTi is an excellent learning and entry level camera. Even to this day. T6i is a beast though. More camera than any person that just wants a camera to take photos of their family needs. The XTi of course would show its age to the technically improficient, but that 'brutality' is a better teacher than something so forgiving.

I really believe it's honestly going to get to the point where you can just set the Aperture and Shutter Speed to anything you want with "Auto ISO" mode and we'll reach a place in which noise will be virtually unperceptable. Then people really won't know anything about cameras, and they probably won't need to either.
 
Late to the party, but there is little point in buying a t5i over a t4i. They are the same camera for alp practical purposes and the t4ibis a hundred less.
 
Used cameras are always a sweet-spot in price-performance. I'd hit up eBay and see if you can't find anything there.
 
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